By - Jan 01, 1970
Agile methodologies are exceptionally useful in improving collaboration quality and team productivity. Agile development also introduces flexibility in the workflow by dividing the project into smaller sections. The method helps each member of the team stay updated on the project's progress, updates, changes, and feedback in real-time. Hence, the development process becomes more convenient and time-efficient.
Agile methodology, however, has different working methods like Kanban, Scrum, Lean Software Development, Extreme Programming, etc. Even though all of them are created based on the key concepts of Agile, they have their distinct attributes and principles that set them apart from other similar methods. Among all of them, Kanban and Scrum are the most popular Agile methodologies. Despite both of them following the Agile fundamentals, their approach to the software development process creates differences.
Let us have a glance at Kanban and Scrum before comparing the two methodologies.
Kanban methodology is a workflow management method for visualizing work, limiting work-in-progress (WIP), and maximizing efficiency. Originally developed by Taiichi Ohno at Toyota in the 1940s, Kanban has since been adopted by different industries beyond manufacturing, including software development, project management, and more.
In Kanban, work items are represented by cards on a visual board, typically divided into columns that represent different stages of the workflow. This visual board representing the workflow is known as the Kanban Board. These columns might include stages like "To Do," "In Progress," "Testing," and "Done." The cards on the Kanban board move through these columns as work progresses until they reach the completion stage.
Kanban is often compared with Scrum, which has fixed-length iterations (sprints) and a defined set of roles and ceremonies. Kanban, in contrast, provides more flexibility and focuses on continuous delivery and improvement.
Kanban Principles
Visualization of The Work Process: Under Kanban methodology, the visualization of workflow is prioritized. This is done using a Kanban board, which consists of columns representing different stages of the workflow and cards representing individual work items. Visualizing the workflow helps team members understand the status of work, identify bottlenecks, and maintain a smooth flow.
Limit Work in Progress (WIP): Kanban advocates for limiting the amount of work in progress at each stage of the workflow. By setting explicit limits on WIP, teams can prevent overloading individuals or parts of the system, reduce context switching, and improve focus. Limiting WIP helps maintain a steady flow of work and encourages teams to finish what they started before taking on new tasks.
Smooth Workflow: Kanban focuses on managing the flow of work through the system. Teams strive to optimize the flow to ensure that work moves smoothly and predictably from start to finish. This involves identifying and addressing bottlenecks, minimizing wait times, and balancing the flow of work across the system.
Explicit Policies: Kanban encourages teams to make their process policies explicit and transparent. Process policies define how work is prioritized, how decisions are made, and how work flows through the system. By making policies explicit, teams can ensure consistency, clarity, and alignment across the organization.
Feedback Loops: Kanban promotes the use of feedback loops to facilitate continuous improvement. Teams gather feedback from various sources, including customers, stakeholders, and team members, and use this feedback to refine their processes and practices. Feedback loops help teams identify opportunities for improvement, adapt to changing requirements, and make data-driven decisions.
Improve Collaboratively: Kanban encourages a culture of collaboration and experimentation. Teams work together to identify areas for improvement, experiment with new ideas and approaches, and learn from both successes and failures. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, teams can adapt to change more effectively and drive continuous improvement.
Scrum Methodology is an agile framework for managing complex projects, particularly in software development, but it can be applied to various industries and types of projects.
In Scrum project development methodology, work is categorized into small iterations called "sprints," which last 2-4 weeks. Scum sprints begin with a planning session where the team selects a set of work items from the product backlog, and a prioritized list of tasks to complete during the sprint. During the sprint, the team holds daily stand-up meetings, also known as daily scrums, to discuss progress, challenges, and plans for the day. At the end of the sprint, the team conducts a sprint review meeting to demonstrate the completed work to stakeholders and requests feedback.
Scrum emphasizes self-organization, collaboration, and flexibility, allowing teams to adapt to changing requirements and deliver value iteratively. It provides a framework for managing complex projects while promoting transparency, inspection, and adaptation throughout the development process.
Scrum Principles
Process Control: Scrum is based on the idea of practicality, which means decisions are made based on observation, experimentation, and data-driven insights. Teams inspect and adapt their processes and products throughout the project lifecycle.
Self-Organization: Scrum teams are self-organizing, meaning they have the autonomy to determine how best to accomplish their work. This fosters creativity, ownership, and accountability within the team.
Iterative Delivery: Scrum projects are broken down into small sprints. Each sprint results in a potentially shippable product increment, allowing for frequent feedback from stakeholders.
Collaboration: Collaboration is fundamental to Scrum. The product owner, development team, and scrum master work closely together to deliver value to the customer. Transparent communication, shared goals, and a culture of trust are essential for effective collaboration.
Customer Focus: Scrum methodology prioritizes understanding and valuing customer needs. The product owner represents the voice of the customer and ensures that the team is working on the most effective features and tasks to offer optimal service.
Definite Schedule: Scrum events, such as sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives, are time-boxed to ensure they are short, focused, and efficient. It helps maintain a regular cadence and promotes discipline within the team.
Continuous Improvement: Scrum methodology encourages teams to assess their work processes and identify opportunities for improvement during sprint retrospectives. By continuously inspecting and adapting their practices, teams can become more effective over time.
Visibility and Transparency: Scrum promotes transparency by making work and progress visible to all stakeholders. This is often achieved through the use of information radiators such as task boards, burndown charts, and product backlogs.
So, what sets Kanban and Scrum apart?
Work Structure
Scrum: Work is structured into fixed-length sprints, typically lasting between 2-4 weeks. Each sprint features a defined set of work items taken from the product backlog into the sprint backlog for completion.
Kanban: Work items are progressed through the workflow as capacity allows, with a focus on limiting WIP to optimize flow.
Roles
Scrum: This methodology defines specific roles, including the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team. Each role has defined responsibilities within the framework.
Kanban: This methodology does not prescribe specific roles. Instead, it encourages self-organization and may have team members take on various roles based on their expertise and the needs of the team.
Events
Scrum: Scrum has defined events, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives, which occur at specific intervals during the sprint.
Kanban: Kanban does not have predefined events. Instead, it encourages continuous improvement through regular reflection and adaptation.
Flexibility
Scrum: Scrum provides a structured framework with predefined roles, events, and artifacts, offering less flexibility but clear guidelines for teams to follow.
Kanban: Kanban offers more flexibility as it doesn't prescribe specific roles or events. Teams can adapt Kanban to their existing processes and workflows more easily.
Modifications:
Scrum: Any kind of modifications to the sprint scope are generally discouraged to maintain focus and predictability.
Kanban: Kanban allows for more flexibility in future modifications throughout the workflow. Teams can reprioritize work processes, and components, and adjust the workflow as required.
Application:
Scrum: Scrum methodology can be convenient for the development process with a steady workflow and less scope for frequent changes.
Kanban: Kanban methodology is however suitable for teams with evolving priorities and demands.
Whereas Kanban allows flexibility, Scrum rather focuses on prioritizing a preapproved path during the development life cycle. Kanban also encourages the involvement of the stakeholders a great deal; allowing developers to build a project that complements the customer demands at all times. Both Kanban and Scrum can therefore be effective in streamlining the software development process. The choice is rather reliant on the project size, scopes, and other dependencies unique to the business, development team, and project goals.
To implement any of the two Agile methodologies, you will need to bring your team members on the same page. Assess their knowledge and understanding of the methodologies or hold a workshop to explain the project details before implementing the methods to ensure a smooth transition. You can also evaluate the developers based on their experience with the methodology of your preference when you hire a developer for your projects.
Before you decide on a particular specific methodology, analyze the needs and limitations of your project. Does your project demand frequent changes? Or can you follow the initial project plan throughout the development process until delivery? You will also need to consider the nature of the deliverables when choosing between Scrum and Kanban.
